StrikeForce News - Page 37

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Strikeforce fighter Brett Rogers will meet fellow heavyweight Ruben Villareal at an October event in Canada. The W-1 MMA organization hosts the show, "W-1: New Ground," on Oct. 23 at the Halifax Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Strikeforce has given Rogers permission to compete at the event.

And he wants to take it from the new Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. "I want it known that I want Feijao, and if he's a real champion, he'll want to avenge his loss. I believe it makes me the number one contender, and I hope Strikeforce feels the same. I have a lot of fans that have been calling me, telling me, texting me and telling me that the (next title) fight should be mine. It was a good show to watch, an exciting fight. I was a little disappointed that Mo didn't put on a better fight. The inexperience of both fighters showed, and that's where I believe I will beat Feijao, because I have more experience than him. No disrespect to him or his camp, but he has my belt, and I'm better than him in every category and that I can beat him in every category. If you put me in the cage with him again, it's going to be the same fight as last time." They first fought in June 2009 with Kyle winning by 2nd round TKO.

Alistair Overeem thinks it's a little fishy that Fedor Emelianenko is suddenly clamoring for a fight with him.
Emelianenko's reps at M-1 Global made headlines this week by announcing the Russian heavyweight wants a year-end meeting Overeem – and not Fabricio Werdum, who submitted him Emelianenko back in June.
But Overeem, Strikeforce's current heavyweight champion, contends M-1 is playing "tricks" with the public to cut in line for a crack at his belt.

A grudge match between Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz and middleweight Jason "Mayhem" Miller is not likely for this year, according to Diaz's manager.
Diaz (22-7 MMA, 3-0 SF) is going to fight at an event planned for Oct. 9 currently dubbed "Strikeforce: San Jose." But he will compete welterweight, and Miller (23-7 MMA, 1-1 SF) is not his opponent.
"Trust me, that's not the fight they have for him," Diaz's manager and trainer, Cesar Gracie, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "It's someone else, and it's almost a done deal."

One day your children will read about a thirty-foot tall giant that lived in the hills of Russia. They will learn that his garments were made from the fear and tears of his opponents and his bones were constructed of adamantium. When this giant would throw an overhand right, planets would recoil in terror and the entire field of astrophysics would take note on its precise trajectory. Time and space would stand in awe at the various ways in which this man broke the limitations they've placed on the universe. This man is Fedor Emelianenko and in this interview with Mixfight.ru, he has finally called out Alistair Overeem.
"Absolutely, I would like a rematch with Werdum. But as he was recently operated on, then as soon as this fight is unlikely to happen. This year, in November-December, I would prefer to meet in a cage with Alistair Overeem"
So can everyone stop saying Fedor is dodging now? People piss me off...

That's the word from The Fink, aka M-1 Global head Vadim Finkelstein, with regards to the future plans for their top star, Fedor Emelianenko. "We plan to organize an interim fight for Fedor. We are considering two options: Japan and Russia. We have a lucrative offer from the Japanese partners, who are interested in Fedor fighting on the New Year's Eve. This is the most interesting option for us. But we are also not excluding an option that Fedor Emelianenko will fight in Russia, sometime in December. We have to organize another fight for Fedor, as Fabricio Werdum is currently injured and no one knows when he will come back. Strikeforce have absolutely nothing against the rematch, that's exactly why we are planning the last fight on Fedor's contract to be against Werdum."

King Mo won't have a chance to reclaim his throne anytime soon. According to his manager, Muhammad Lawal will undergo knee surgery to replace both his anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments in his left knee, an injury that occurred during Saturday night's Strikeforce event where he lost his SF Light Heavyweight Title to Rafael Cavalcante (Feijao). He's likely going to be out 9 months.

While Dana White held high praise for Cowboys Stadium after he attended the massive structure earlier this year for a high-profile boxing match, the UFC president has been reluctant to guarantee his organization will soon visit the venue.
But could Strikeforce possibly steal the UFC's thunder by holding an event there first?
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said you'll likely see his organization contesting bouts in the 80,000-seat stadium in October. Well, sort of.

Despite a recent Twitter message to the contrary, Strikeforce welterweight Jay Hieron is not a free agent just yet. Early Saturday morning, Hieron stated he had "finally got my release from [Strikeforce]," which prompted speculation of a potential move to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. But following Saturday's Showtime-televised "Strikeforce: Houston" event in Texas, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told MMAjunkie.com that's not exactly the case. "Here's the thing," Coker told MMAjunkie.com. "Jay Hieron doesn't have any fights left with us. He's just in a matching period. The only thing he would have to do is if he has an offer, he has to bring it to us. "But he doesn't have fights with Strikeforce, no." Coker wasn't immediately sure when the matching period ends, but he hasn't given up hope on re-signing the 34-year-old fighter. "I think my guys are talking to him," Coker said.

Strikeforce's first trip to the Lone Star State resulted in an attendance of 8,635, which officials surely will consider a success.
Saturday's event, "Strikeforce: Houston," aired on Showtime with a pair of title fights and took place at the Toyota Center in Texas.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) confirmed with a Strikeforce official the attendance figure, which company CEO Scott Coker said in ni doubt was aided by former Houston resident K.J. Noons, who defeated fellow lightweight Jorge Gurgel on the night's main card.

Jay Hieron (19-4), who has had some issues with Strikeforce, says that he's officially been released from the promotion. He tweeted:

"I finally got my release from SF... Y'all know what I'm about to do!!!!!!!"
"I have been threw a lot of **** this past year but I have trained the whole time. So all WWs take notice I'm coming for somebodys head..."

While Strikeforce is just hours away from its first-ever event in Texas, the promotion's brass is apparently busy working on an October return to its home base. Strikeforce 135-pound female champion Sarah Kaufman has agreed to face top challenger Marloes Coenen, while fast-rising prospect Luke Rockhold and longtime veteran Matt Lindland have also signed on to fight at an as-yet-unannounced Oct. 9 Strikeforce event. Additionally, Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz is reportedly targeted to appear at the event, though it was not immediately clear if an opponent has been secured. The event likely will be at HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA and could be announced as soon as tonight. Diaz is currently suspended for his role in the Nashville brawl but should be clear in time for this event.

Fedor Emelianenko will in the coming week decide what his immediate future holds in Strikeforce, according to a source close to the fighter. While speculation on Emelianenko's next opponent has centered around current heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem or a rematch with Fabricio Werdum, the source said a contest with Antonio Silva on Dec. 4 is currently on the table for the Russian's final fight on his current Strikeforce contract. Strikeforce has yet to determine a city or venue for the Dec. 4 event, and officials could not be reached for comment. Scott Coker recently said Silva is one of 3 fighters being considered for the next Fedor fight, the others being Sergei Kharitonov & Alistair Overeem.

The Arizona State Boxing Commission has announced the medical suspensions from Strikeforce Challengers 10. Only 4 fighters were given suspensions-all got only 30 or 60 days-and no injuries were serious. The worst injury was a possible concussion.

The Arizona State Boxing Commission has released the official fighter payouts from Strikeforce Challengers 10. The total disclosed payouts were $53,250 with the biggest share-$18,000-going to Miesha Tate. The payroll may appear low compared to other major organizations, but keep in mind that the Challengers event series is geared primarily toward up-and-coming fighters who are looking to be promoted to major shows. Additionally, five of the 12 Strikeforce Challengers 10 bouts were classified as amateur fights, though most of the fighters have pro bouts on their records, according to the major databases.

Ratings this past weekend's Strikeforce Challengers 10 event were better than expected and topped out at 280,000 viewers. Overall, the Aug. 13 event averaged 237,000 viewers, a 17 percent increase from Strikeforce Challengers 9 in July, for its initial run. So which fight coincided with the peak audience? It wasn't the Joe Riggs vs. Louis Taylor headliner, nor was it any of the official fights from the organization's single-night tournament, which included 135-pound female fighters Miesha Tate, Hitomi Akano, Maiju Kujala and Carina Damm. Surprisingly, the peak audience came during a Colleen Schneider vs. Liz Carmouche tourney-reserve bout, which likely was just a quirk since it preceded the night's tournament finale and Riggs vs. Taylor main event.

Two months removed from his first loss in nearly 10 years, Fedor Emelianenko is confident his future – and a contract extension with Strikeforce – soon will be finalized. The former PRIDE champion recently suffered an upset submission loss to fellow top-10 heavyweight Fabricio Werdum at a June Showtime-televised event. Although no return date or opponent have been determined, Emelianenko recently said his management team and Strikeforce officials are ready to move forward. "So far I feel very comfortable fighting, very good with my fighting, and I'm planning [to fight] as long as I can physically," he recently told m-1global.com, the official site of M-1 Global. "As far and I'm concerned we should discuss the possibility of signing another contract for four to six fights." Regardless of what the future holds for Emelianenko, one thing now seems very unlikely: a move to the UFC, the world's top MMA promotion. "For now [we work] with Strikeforce, and we are concentrating on that," he said. "The contract is not over yet. So for now we don't have any interest in the UFC."

Scott Smith is one of the more popular middleweights in Strikeforce, but according to his manager Mike Roberts, "Hands of Steel's" days of fighting at 185 may be on the verge of coming to end, at least for now.
Roberts said on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour that Smith, who most recently lost to Cung Le in June via second round KO, is seriously considering dropping down to welterweight.